Did Lord Lucan Command the Charge of the Light Brigade?

How was the 7th Earl of Lucan related?

It was Lord Lucan’s great-great-grandfather, George Charles, who was held responsible for that notorious military blunder the Charge of the Light Brigade.

The Third Earl of Lucan was the commander of the Cavalry Division in 1854, and it was him who gave the order to attack the Russian Guns during the Battle of Balaclava. Undoubtedly there was some confusion as to what the Cavalry was supposed to be doing.

The Earl of Lucan had received some scrawled orders from the Commander-in-Chief, Lord Raglan which did not make clear where the charge was to be directed.

But ultimately it was Lucan who issued the order, “Forward, the Light Brigade!” and in consequence it is him who has been blamed for the disaster. There have been many other fiascos in British military history, but thanks to the poetry of Alfred, Lord Tennyson, The Charge of the Light Brigade remains one of the most infamous.

The story of Lord Lucan can be found in William Coles' brilliantly edited
Lord Lucan: My Story